The Value of Offering Hot Drinks at Your Trade Counter

It's a cold morning. A customer comes into your branch to collect materials before heading off to the next job. They've probably been up since six, and they've got a long day ahead of them.

Offering them a decent cup of coffee is a small thing, but it's a welcome one.

Giving customers a reason to come back

Most merchants compete on price, stock availability and service. Those will always matter most, but the experience customers have in your branch matters too.

Think about your regulars. They're often dealing with the same staff, visiting several times a week and spending a fair amount of time at the counter. Having coffee available is a simple way to make those visits more pleasant.

It won't win you every sale, but it can help make your branch somewhere customers enjoy coming back to.

A chance to build relationships

Trade counters run on relationships. Staff get to know their regular customers, learn what they need and become the people they call when something goes wrong.

A coffee gives people another reason to stop for a moment and have a conversation. You can't put a figure on every relationship built over a cup of coffee, but anyone who's worked on a trade counter knows how much those relationships matter.

With an increase in relationships comes an increase in trust. Where trust operates your customers will open up about upcoming projects etc, letting you get in early with quotes to secure that project.

It needs to work for your staff, too

Of course, nobody wants a coffee machine that creates more work than it's worth. If staff are spending ages making drinks or cleaning equipment, the novelty won't last long.

For a busy branch, the machine needs to be quick, easy to clean and capable of handling regular use. It also needs to fit on the counter without getting in everyone's way.

At Imbibe Hydration, we supply coffee machines designed for trade counters, with straightforward operation and easy daily cleaning.

Is it worth it?

That depends on your branch and your customers. But if you're looking for another way to make customers feel welcome, hot drinks are worth considering.

A cup of coffee won't replace good service or competitive prices. It can, however, make a customer's visit that little bit better.